


When Paths Diverge- Divergence in Y3

by Indradanush21



Series: When Paths Diverge [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Insane Voldemort (Harry Potter), Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, New Marauders in Golden Trio Era (Harry Potter), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sirius and Remus stick around, Smart Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29723634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indradanush21/pseuds/Indradanush21
Summary: Harry Potter had at least two weeks to explore Diagon Alley before his third year. He takes his first unrestricted summer to explore his wizarding heritage like never before. As a downtrodden orphan, he had nothing. After his time in Diagon Alley, he needs his resourcefulness and his brains to outmaneuver those who wish to control him and live his life to the fullest.Take note Dumbledore, Harry’s Slytherin side is coming out to play!Note: Cannon Divergence starting at Book 3. Story has flashbacks.
Series: When Paths Diverge [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184504
Comments: 3
Kudos: 69





	1. Potter's Field

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. This is my first fanfic, inspired by the many Harry Potter fics I have read. All characters and settings are owned by J.K. Rowling. Thanks for reading!

Harry and Cedric touched the cup at the same time. There was a jerk behind Harry’s navel and he stumbled as the spinning stopped in a quiet dark field. Knowing that this was abnormal, he quickly pushed Cedric sideways from wherever they were standing, against some hard stone. As his eyes adjusted, he realized that this was a graveyard.

“Ow,” Cedric groaned. “What was that for?” he asked, rubbing his hip. 

“Shhh. Look around.” Harry motioned for Cedric to follow as they put distance between themselves and where the cup lay. “We need to keep quiet. Who knows who or what is out here.”

They moved away carefully for a mere few moments when they heard some rustling in the bushes.

“Wormtail!” a voice hissed. “Where is he!”

Harry went white as he removed a small, extendable pouch from his belt and grabbed his invisibility cloak, before throwing it over himself and Cedric. 

“You have an invisibility cloak!” Cedric exclaimed in a whisper. Harry, too scared to make a sound, placed his finger in front his mouth and shook his head vigorously, indicating “not now.” He began tugging Cedric away from the cup (and from Voldemort).

“Master!” a nasally voice called. “The Triwizard cup is here.”

“Well, you imbecile, don’t touch it. He should be around here somewhere! Use your animagus form and find him! I need to complete the ritual tonight.”

There was another sound. _Master, I sssmell two humansss on this cup. ___

____

Harry’s heart hammered in his chest. He began pulling Cedric away faster, thinking furiously. “Cedric,” he whispered, voice wavering. “I need you to grab the cup and get reinforcements. They know we are here.”

____

“Who?” Cedric whispered back, almost as frightened. 

____

“Vol-,” Harry paused, eyes wide. He didn’t want Cedric to jump and alert Nagini, Wormtail, or Voldemort. “You-know-who. His snake just told him there are two humans here.  
Cedric paled considerably and froze. “I can’t leave a 14-year-old behind.”

____

“They are looking for me and we are out of time. I will distract them. You take my cloak and get the cup. It shouldn’t be more than thirty feet from here” Harry took a deep breath, took the cloak off, and pushed Cedric. “Now go!” He hissed. 

____

Harry then lay on the ground and moaned loudly; his wand hidden under his sleeves. “Ow. That cup threw me when I landed. Where is it?”

____

He slowly got up to his feet, making more noise than he would have but not enough to seem faked. 

____

Meanwhile Cedric watched from a distance away, sneaking surreptitiously towards the cup.

____

“Wormtail, bind him!”

____

“Incarcerous!” A short stubby man jumped from the bushes, pointing his wand at Harry.

____

One Harry was bound, he emerged from the bushes carrying an ugly baby with red eyes and rotting flesh. “See Harry Potter. See what I have become. Tonight, I will take your blood and call my followers to my side. Lord Voldemort shall rise again and you shall be the first kill of my new dawn!”

____

At this point, Cedric had circumvented the two humans, keeping his eyes out for the snake Harry mentioned. Silent spells weren’t his strong suit. He raised his wand and silently kept summoning the cup as he moved closer to it, hoping to avoid getting bitten or alerting the snake. He felt a tug on his magic as the cup sailed towards him. Unfortunately, the snake was wrapped around it. _Animals can touch portkeys without being transported! ___

____

____

____

_Masster! _The snake hissed as it flew, spinning through the air. Voldemort turned to see the cup flying towards them and then looked at Harry, who was in front of them. “Potter! Let my snake go or you will die!”__

____

______ _ _

____

Cedric leapt and grabbed touched an exposed part of the portkey, hoping the snake didn’t bite him. There was a hook around his navel. Nagini, being an animal, was left hanging in the air once the portkey slipped from her clutches. All Voldemort and Wormtail saw was a disembodied hand. 

____

______ _ _

____

“Master! That is the Potter invisibility cloak!” Wormtail shrieked. “I used to sneak around with the brat’s father and friends under it.”

____

______ _ _

____

Voldemort turned to Harry, who had snuck his hand into his pouch for Sirius’s penknife to cut through his ropes. “Are you really Harry Potter? Or a polyjuiced imposter?”  
Harry stayed quiet, with his hands ferociously working behind his back to saw through the ropes.

____

______ _ _

____

“Master, whoever it was will get help! We need to complete the ritual.”

____

______ _ _

____

“SILENCE! I need the protection of Potter’s mother!”

____

______ _ _

____

“Master! We don’t have much time!”

____

______ _ _

____

“I said SILENCE! I need to consider this hurdle. I have been planning for months!"

____

______ _ _

____

Sirius’s knife cut through the ropes, and Harry slowly rolled away behind the gravestones while the two argued.  
_Massster! The prissssoner is esssscaping! _The snake hissed in pain from the nearby field.__

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Harry ducked behind one of the broken headstones. Babymort pulled a wand out, but unlike Harry’s visions, he could not raise the rotting arm. “Wormtail! Go after him. I will have Nagini bring me to close him off from the other side.”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Harry needed to move. It must have been about five minutes since Cedric left. He needed to keep them busy until help arrived. 

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Meanwhile…  
Cedric landed in the middle of the quidditch pitch to cheers and jubilation. “Our champion has returned with the cup,” Bagman spoke to the crowed, his voice amplified by the Sonorous charm. 

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Cedric tried bringing the attention to the problem at hand. Harry was in danger. He quickly cast a Sonorous on himself, hoping to be heard over the din and the piles of people surrounding him. “STOP! STOP!”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

The crowd quieted. “Didn’t anyone think that there’re has been a time delay of about 5 minutes since when you saw Harry and I grab the cup! Harry is in trouble!”

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

“What nonsense are you speaking, Mr. Diggory?” Bagman asked, before looking around. 

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Dumbledore approached the podium. “Where is Harry?” he asked. 

____

________ _ _ _ _

____

Cedric, without canceling his Sonorous, replied, “We were taken to a graveyard. Harry saved me and told me to get help. You-Know-Who-“  
His Sonorous was cut off by a _finite _from Moody.  
-was there with someone called Wormtail.” Cedric turned to Moody, “Why did you cancel my voice, Professor?”__

____

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

“We can’t have that information leak and cause panic, Boy.”

____

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Cedric ignored his paranoid professor and turned to Dumbledore. “We need to go now. I don’t know how long Harry has. He was tied up when I left.”

____

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Dumbledore raised his wand, summoning the Aurors to him. “Cedric just informed me that Harry is in danger and we need to get to him.” He left the part about Voldemort out, not knowing how well that would go over. He didn’t notice fake Moody hobble towards the Forbidden Forest as he got ready. Albus knew his old ‘friend’ was being kept in a trunk for the last nine months. The idiot Death Eater was helping him shape Harry into the perfect pawn. Curious enough to dig further, but reliant on Dumbledore to save him in the end.  


____

Too bad Diggory didn’t die to give Harry another jolt. Dumbledore could have used that pain to further bring Harry to kneel. Harry couldn’t die yet, he needed to get rid of the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort while Dumbledore watched from a safe distance. Then Dumbledore will kill him and cement himself as the new Leader of Wizarding Britain. 

____

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

Albus Dumbledore rubbed his hands together, tweaking his mental chessboard to include this minor hiccup. “Can’t get ahead of myself.”

____

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

____


	2. Potter's Field Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fixed a few typos with the previous chapter. Enjoy chapter 2!

Harry was ran desperately through the overgrown weeds and over the scraggly terrain trying to outpace his pursuers. Flashes of red light lit his path, helping him avoid obstacles. He crashed bodily into many of the taller gravestones, tripping over those at ankle level. _I should have kept an emergency portkey with me!_

Harry knew that if he had escaped with Cedric, nobody would believe him. He thought that since Wormtail and Voldemort needed him, he could reverse engineer a trap to get them caught instead and get Sirius a trial. Now, he was paying for his recklessness again. He had sore legs and ankles, bruised ribs, and a pounding headache. 

The moment of distracted thought cost him dearly. He tripped over a smaller mound in his path and crashed headfirst into a larger grave. Dizzy, world-spinning, he forced himself to stand, realizing that this was much worse than any Harry Hunting Dudley had put him through. His right ankle had twisted painfully and his previous injuries from the maze were not helping. 

As he regained his bearings, he saw he was back where he had started. Wormtail had used his stupefies to lure him back to the gravestone at which he was originally bound. In his recklessness Harry had forgotten that Wormtail had been a Maurader. Even though he was not as popular, Wormtail was just as smart. The thirteen years as a rat may have dulled his reflexes as a human, but Wormtail had been around magic and in a mentally stimulating environment at that time. His brains were as sharp as ever. 

This time Wormtail used a silent spell to wrap ropes around Harry in a much tighter manner. Harry couldn’t reach his pouch to get the knife again; he couldn’t move any of his limbs. The more Harry struggled, the tighter the ropes became. It was in his best interest to stop moving, lest they strangle him. The helplessness grew as Nagini brought Voldemort back to the clearing. The two waited at the edges as Wormtail began chanting and adding things to the vast, blackened iron cauldron from the table next to it. 

Then, as things tend to do when you are stuck, Harry’s mind began to wander. He realized that Voldemort had been calling Pettigrew “Wormtail” even though that was supposed to be a code/nickname for the Marauders. Pettigrew had essentially spat further on the Marauder legacy by allowing the murderer of two Marauders to use the name given with so much consideration and trust. At that moment, Harry resolved to never, ever call Pettigrew anything other than his given name. Harry felt his wristwatch vibrate, indicating the hour. _It’s been at least ten minutes since Cedric left. I hope he comes soon with reinforcements. Sirius is going to kill me if Remus doesn’t do it first._

Pettigrew paused his chanting and looked across the clearing. A dark, cloaked figure hobbled into view on a wooden leg. _Professor Moody! _Harry kept silent, waiting for the rest of the reinforcements to make an appearance.__

__“Wormtail. Have you finished the potion for our Lord?”_ _

__Harry stared at Moody in shock. “P-Professor?” He couldn’t help but gasp._ _

__“Ah, Potter’s awake.” He turned towards Harry. “Hello, Potter. Surprised to see me?” Moody taunted Harry. Harry didn’t respond and looked at the ground. The Dursleys had taught him silence was usually the safest option._ _

__Pettigrew placed Babymort next to the cauldron and came close to Harry with a knife, slitting his skin from elbow to wrist, collecting the blood in a flask, before walking back to the potion . He then began chanting again as he added bones to the potion._ _

_"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son. Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master.”_ Pettigrew held his left hand over the cauldron, took a deep breath, and used his knife to cut his hand off into the cauldron, flinching, but steady. 

_“Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe."_ Pettigrew tipped the vial he gathered from Harry into the mix and stirred. He then placed Babymort into potion and stepped back. 

__Let him drown, let him die, Harry begged. Voldemort, however, emerged from the cauldron at full height. “Robe me.” Moody grabbed the robes from the table and reverently draped them over his Lord._ _

__“Barty, show me your arm.” Moody held out the arm with the Dark Mark._ _

_Mr. Crouch? Polyjuice? Is that why he was on the map all year? Where was the real Moody?_

__Harry felt his scar burn, Moody? let out a grunt of pain, and Pettigrew whimpered on the ground as he clutched his stump._ _

__Death Eaters began apparating in droves. About fifty showed up within two minutes. With another thirty joining them within the next three minutes._ _

__"Greetings, my lord,” many of them whispered. “Welcome back.”_ _

__“Greetings my Death Eaters. Your words fall hollow as none of you, other than Wormtail, came to find me.” The air grew colder. “However, Lord Voldemort is benevolent and rewards those loyal to him.” Voldemort picked up his wand from the table and gave Pettigrew a new red, raw, hand, made of flesh and sinew._ _

__"Thank you, my lord.” Pettigrew whispered, kissing the hem of Voldemort’s robes._ _

__“If I may ask, my Lord,” one of the Death Eaters spoke. “What is Moody doing here?”_ _

__“You may. This is not Moody, but one of our number who is under the Polyjuice Potion. I did not realize he was still alive and he has been my greatest asset in bringing Potter here. I will not divulge his name, as his anonymity has gotten me a most cherished prize.”_ _

Voldemort walked over to Harry. “Behold. The protection of Potter’s Mudblood mother runs in my veins as well. I can touch the boy now without consequences.” He touched Harry’s face to prove his point. Harry’s blood ran cold and hot at once. Shock that Voldemort could touch him and anger at the way he talked about his mother. 

__“The wizarding world said a mere baby could bring down the great Lord Voldemort. Let me show to you in a duel that this is a mere fantasy. Magical trickery by Dumbledore bought him time, but this boy will meet his downfall here.”_ _

__Voldemort untied Harry and handed his wand back to him. “Has anyone taught you to duel Potter?”_ _

Harry was mum but he knew he was royally screwed as he clenched his hand around his wand. He had never apparated in his life (unless you count the time when he was found on the roof away from Dudley’s gang). He didn’t have a portkey, He would be stupefied before he could reach his broom and used his want to resize it. _Used his wand…to…._ It hit Harry like a train wreck. He had to wait for the most appropriate time. 

“Answer me Potter! _Imperio!”_

___Harry fought the fluffy, floaty feeling in his head and shook his head._ _ _

___“You dare refuse your betters! Bow to Lord Voldemort.” He cast some silent spell at Harry, causing him to bend his head._ _ _

"Now we duel. _Crucio!”_

___Harry jumped out of the way and rolled behind a gravestone._ _ _

“Hiding are we, Potter? Are you a coward? _Bombarda!_ ” 

The gravestone behind Harry shattered, large chunks narrowly avoiding the rolling Seeker. Smaller shrapnel tore through his clothes. Harry got to his feet and turned around. “ _Wingardium Leviosa!_ ” 

___Multiple shards rocketed into the air and towards Voldemort, as Harry continued to hobble slowly away. He needed his transport to be able to lead him out of here, not get stuck here in the process._ _ _

“ _Crucio!_ ” 

___This time Harry couldn’t dodge. It felt like a thousand skewers pierced his body. It was as if Aunt Petunia put his whole body on the stove, instead of his hand when he was five. Harry began screaming and he didn’t know for how long._ _ _

___The pain stopped suddenly as a wand-fire began coming from where Harry and Cedric had originally landed._ _ _

____Reinforcements! Finally!_ Instead of waiting for himself to get injured or caught up in the ensuing battle, Harry used the distraction to stick out his wand._ _ _

___The Knight Bus appeared in all of its purple, two-decker glory._ _ _

___“Welcome aboard-“ Stan Shunpike began._ _ _

___“Not the time Stan!” Harry yelled as he barreled into the bus. “Close the doors and lets leave before anyone of us dies!”_ _ _

___Ernie, not waiting for Stan to process what was going on, closed the door and did just that. As the bus bounded away. Harry let out a shaky breath._ _ _

___“How much to Hogwarts?” he asked a white-face Stan._ _ _

___“Normally, it would be about 10 galleons, but…” Stan trailed off._ _ _

___“Understandable. How about I make it 30 for the inconvenience?” This would wipe his savings for the last two months, but it was the least he could do for putting the two of them in such a situation._ _ _

___“Deal!” Earnie barked from the wheel._ _ _


	3. Flashbacks begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit more background on this version of Harry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and comments are welcome. Thanks for reading!

Harry had the Knight Bus drop him off at the front gates of the castle, the closest they could get to Hogwarts. During the ride, he had tried to stem the blood flow from his wounds the best he could, but healing was not his strong suit. 

Once they were out of sight, Harry took out his Firebolt, resized it and raced to the Forbidden Forest. He had not trusted Madam Pomphrey with his health since his third year. The Centaurs had told him how much she had missed in treating his wounds and he had been conferring with them instead. 

Harry was feeling woozy as he pushed his broom as hard as he could. Time was becoming inconsequential, and he was having trouble focusing. He realized that he lost more blood than he thought and hoped that he could reach a centaur village before he fainted. He could see the trees thinning ahead and began to descend into the forest. He stumbled off his broom near the gates of the village and knew no more. 

They say when your body is pushed to the limit, you see snippets from your life flash in front of you. Harry watched his earliest memories progress in a linear fashion, as if he were a watchful observer, rather than a participant.

He was five and learning to cook dinner from Aunt Petunia and accidently dropped the steak on the floor. Petunia took his hand and placed it on the skillet instead, indifferent to his screams. He had been thrown in his cupboard without food, sobbing. In the morning, his hand had healed, and his relatives were furious. 

He was six and he was coughing blood due to untreated pneumonia. The Dursleys took him to the hospital and got him treatment before he died. The doctors and nurses were appalled at his lack of vaccinations, so they gave him a plethora of shots. Soon his eyesight began to fail. Aunt Petunia got him bargain bin glasses, which caused him frequent headaches. 

He was seven and he broke his left arm because Dudley stomped on it. As he cried, Uncle Vernon stomped on the arm again and told him that boys don’t cry. The neighbors had commented on the cries and screams from the house as well as the broken arm in the sling. The fear of the neighbors finding out caused Vernon to severely back down on how he did his ‘punishments’ of Harry. The Dursleys also warned Dudley not to break bones. Everything else was still fair game, though. 

He was eight and Dudley was suspended for bullying. The Dursleys enrolled him in swimming to help with his aggression. They told Dudley limit his fighting, lest the neighbors said anything. 

He was nine and Aunt Marge came for her annual visit. After having Ripper hold him hostage in the tree until past midnight, the Dursleys had laughed. The next day, the neighbors began to talk about child abuse. Marge was promptly told to not visit Privet Drive for a while and that the family (sans Harry, of course) would visit frequently instead. 

He was ten and one of the teachers noticed his scrawny, underfed, bruised frame. She sent a note with Harry about setting up a house visit to the Dursleys and did not take no for an answer. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia promptly moved Harry to Dudley’s second bedroom and cleaned the rest of the house. They made sure Dudley knew not to mention Harry’s old bedroom and not to leave bruises visibly while bullying. The second bedroom was cleaned up, without any broken pieces. The Dursleys were so concerned that they were breaking the law and would be found out that they got a decent-looking used bed, mattress, and blankets from the second-hand shop. They had stressed to Harry that if he did not fall into line, he would be sent to the orphanage after he paid his punishment in blood. After the inspections, the Dursleys moved him back to his cupboard. They continued to feed him three meals a day to avoid raising suspicions at school. 

He was eleven and there was a whole fiasco with the Philosopher’s Stone.

He was twelve and the Chamber of Secrets was a thing. 

He was thirteen and Aunt Marge had come back. She had insulted his dead parents; the very same parents that died for him. That got her deservedly blown up as a result. He then, finally, had three weeks to explore the Wizarding World, his world…

The morning after Fudge left, Harry slept in until 1 in the afternoon. He then asked one of the house elves at the Leaky Cauldron if he could have his lunch delivered to his room. As he munched on apple and cinnamon oatmeal, Harry made plans. 

Throughout his childhood, he had learned that understanding situations and falling in line meant the least pain. However, there were times when he successfully manipulated the situation and got his rewards. Take the time when he was 10 and his injuries got noticed. Harry had purposely gone near the new teacher, who knew nothing of the Dursleys and didn’t have time to form a false impression of Harry. It helped that she did not teach Harry’s or Dudley’s classes. During recess, he had stumbled in front of her in his most baggy clothes, allowing a bruised arm to be seen under the rolled-up sleeves. That had gotten him a few weeks of respite from his cupboard and a guaranteed pass to three (albeit small) meals per day. He had learned that the Dursleys cared too much about what others would say to use that in his favor. 

When he entered the wizarding world, he thought Gryffindor would be a good house because that is where his parents had been but had nothing against the other three houses. However, seeing Draco Malfoy on the train had put the nail in the coffin for Slytherin. 

Now he had the chance to see how far his resources stretched and learn more about his parents. He asked the house elves for a map of Diagon Alley. Then he started circling stores where he would go to learn more, without having to worry about what Ron or Hermione might think. Harry loved his friends. They had been bright spots in his life after he joined the Wizarding World. But Ron held Harry back by his jealousy at times. He would see Harry learning and reading as Harry changing and leaving Ron behind on purpose. Hermione, on the other hand, would push him too much, maybe to the point where he lost interest and missed what he needed due to her one-track mind. She would not let him read and learn at his own pace. At least when he was with Ron’s pace, she didn’t nag him. 

Harry saw how all the main streets on the wizarding side of the barrier lead to Gringotts. There was Diagon Alley (where Harry was right now) and Knockturn Alley (where Harry had gotten lost last year, and the darker parts of society did business). But there was also Historic Alley, which he knew nothing about. 

He made plans to start with the genealogy shops located in Historic Alley. Circling Genealogy Through the Ages on the map, Harry continued to plan…


	4. Goblin Nation Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry just wanted some cash to go shopping and learn exactly how much he had to spend. He got more than he bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic will most likely update on Fridays and about once a week from now on.

That evening, Harry asked the house elves what appropriate casual wear for wizards was. He didn’t need to ask at Hogwarts, because he could usually get away with his school robes and his muggle clothing didn’t need to be updated, lest the Dursleys destroy it or learn that Harry had money. Tilly and Milly’s ancestors had worked at the Leaky Cauldron for generations. These elves did not act like Dobby and were happy to help. They were healthy and not prone to fits of insanity or hurting themselves. 

The twin elves directed Harry to the appropriate clothing for wizards, in addition to providing him with a copy of Wizard’s Vogue, complete with the latest international fashions. Wizards typically wore cloaks over their clothing. In England, the preferred colors were more somber like blacks, greys, and whites, with some maroons usually thrown in. These cloaks were usually worn over tailored trousers and a matching vest over a white shirt for children and teenagers. Adult men usually wore matching stripped ties with the ensemble and matching bowler hats. The overall effect was similar to the muggle fashions of the 1920s, which Harry recalled from his school lessons regarding the 1920s. He marked Sir Henry’s Tailor as a less conspicuous shop than Madam Malkins in Diagon Alley to order his next pickup of wizard’s attire. Maybe he could ask the owner more about Wizard’s fashions…

The next morning, Harry got up early, had breakfast at the tavern in his school robes, and set off towards Gringotts. He planned to get information from the Goblins and get money before heading off to Historic Alley to learn more. The hallowed, white marble structure glistened and glittered imposingly in the sun, as if made from unimaginable magic (which was probably true because the Goblins were considered amazing craftsman). On closer inspection, the walls were not just carved with intricate designs, but inlayed with jewels. Blood red rubies, sea blue sapphires, sun yellow topaz, grass green jade, and royal purple amethyst depicted various scenes from history on the towering marble pillars that lined the face of the bank. It reminded Harry of the Mughal architecture in his history books and how the colonists had ripped out said jewels in famous Southeast-Asian structures. How Harry had missed this in years past, he did not know. He chalked it up to being in a rush and thinking that the colors were just painted on. 

Harry walked past the guards with a respectful nod, before heading to the tellers’ booths. Here, he saw someone he knew: Griphook. Griphook was luckily free, so Harry made a beeline for him. 

“Good Morning, Griphook.”

The goblin looked startled, perhaps surprised to be addressed by a wizard.

“Good Morning, Wizard. How may I help you today?”

“My name is Harry Potter. I don’t know if you remember, but you showed me my vault a few years ago… I was wondering if you could direct me to someone who could walk me through my finances?”

“Certainly. If you follow me, I can access one of our ledgers and we can discuss this in my office with one of the other teller goblins.”

“Thank you very much for your help, Griphook,” Harry said, as he nervously followed the stern-looking to the meeting rooms farther into the bank. 

On the way, Griphook stopped by another goblin on what seemed to be guard duty. “Jasper, could you accompany Mr. Potter and I to discuss his finances?”

“What about the Potter account manager?” Jasper asked.

“As you recall, the Potter Account Manager passed away years ago and he was the last of his clan. There has no one who has been stated yet. Per policy, at least two goblins from different clans must be present to talk finances until the next manager is appointed.”

Jasper seemed to anger at this information. “But Mr. Potter has been to the bank before. Is he continuing to delay selecting an account manager, or at least a managing clan, to slight the bank?!”

Harry quickly cottoned on. “Please excuse me, Sir Goblin,” he spoke as respectfully as he could. “I have no idea what you are insinuating but I swear- “here Harry paused, wondering what he could do that was dramatic enough to express his sincerity. Channeling a conversation he had with Hermione after she was revived, he continued, raising his wand, “I, Harry James Potter, swear on my magic that I did not intentionally mean any disrespect to the Goblin Nation or any of its constituents with my past actions. So mote it be.” The wand tip lit up as he was saying the oath. If he didn’t say the truth, his wand would go up in flames and consume his wand arm, as well as turn him into a Squib. 

Both goblins looked gob smacked. “Apology accepted,” Jasper said begrudgingly. “We were informed that you had gotten the best education during your childhood.”

“I didn’t know about the magical world until my eleventh birthday and the next day was when I came to Gringotts for the first and only time.” Harry then focused his energy on the royal mannerisms from Aunt Petunia’s shows and Slytherin students’ speech. “I hope to learn more about Goblin culture so I can address the Goblin Nation in the most respectful manner as well as fulfill any obligations I may have towards you.”

“I had suspected that to be the case after seeing the poor state of your clothes the last time you visited,” Griphook interjected. “But, we should probably continue to rest of this in the conference room.” 

The door to the conference room was wooden, but almost as intricate as the bank entrance. There were no jewels, but the carved wooden flora and fauna seemed to almost move. The goblins chucked at his staring as they ushered him inside.

In the middle of the room, there was a large mahogany desk, surrounded by chairs, with a tome positioned on a pedestal in the center. 

“Have a seat, Mr. Potter. That is one of our ledgers.”

Harry sat across from the two goblins. The goblins then opened the tome to the first page, but it was blank. He looked confusedly at the goblins. Jasper picked up the explanation this time: “Our main ledgers are kept deep within the goblin nation under secure wards. The tomes up here only give information regarding one individual at a time…Years ago, one of our master craftsmen developed a method in which 3 drops of blood from a wizard on a smaller tome, like this one, will yield all of his/her inheritances and detailed finances.” Jasper held out a ritualistic knife. “Your finger, Mr. Potter.”

Harry held out his left hand. As soon his blood hit the book, spidery ink lines began spreading out across the pages. Griphook tapped his finger to the cut. “The wound is not healed Mr. Potter, just sealed,” he said as he used his magic to bring the two ends of the 4-millimeter wound. “It should be fine within an hour.” 

The three of them looked at the book. The first page now read “Harold James Evan Potter. Preferred name: Harry James Potter.”

“That is my real name?” Harry blurted out before he could suppress it. 

Something like feral anger passed between the goblins. “Yes,” Griphook said. “Were you not aware?”

Harry shook his head. “But please continue.”

Griphook turned the page. “This page serves as a table of contents. The third page shows all your vaults, and the fourth page shows all your properties. Following that are pages showing any transactions made and from which of your vaults those transactions were made. Where would you like to start?”

“Could we start with the vaults?”

“Until now, you had access to only your trust vault. Per bank policy, as the sole remaining Potter of the Head Branch, you now have access to the Potter Heirloom Vault at 13 years old. You will be able to access the rest of the vaults at age 15. Do you have your key?”

“I never had my key. Dumbledore has never let me have it. I asked for it from Hagrid when we visited the bank two years ago, from Dumbledore multiple times, and from Ms. Weasley last year. And what do mean by Head Branch?”

Both Goblins snarled, promptly hitting a red button on the desk. A troop of five goblins rushed in through the door almost immediately. “Stop all transactions from all of the Potter vaults at this moment! Deactivate the keys! We have a thief!” Griphook snarled. He pointed to three of the goblins. “You go stop transactions globally, You go deactivate the keys, and You go alert the War council!” 

Jasper then pointed to the fourth goblin: “Contact the Centaur council to send a healer for Mr. Potter as well!” 

Griphook pointed to the last goblin: “You should join us in this room as we go through the rest of this, so we have another witness to what has occurred.”

They quickly brought the new goblin, Topaz, up to speed. This had him snarling as well. “We need to do an audit of the last 15 years of Potter vaults!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will expand more with the international Potter Family Dynamics in the next chapter, along with the roles of the Goblins and Centaurs.  
> In summary, Goblins are the architects/craftsmen/miners/bankers per canon. They deal with the legality side of things (more info to follow). Centaurs are more attuned to nature, so they deal with medical diagnosis, treatments, and rituals (shamans, doctors, pharmacists, nurses rolled into one)
> 
> I will expand more on wizard history, culture, and religion, as well as the shades of magic (light/gray/dark) whenever Harry gets to Historic Alley. 
> 
> Feedback and comments are welcome. Thanks for reading!


	5. Goblin Nation Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The flashback continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic will continue to update on Fridays.

Harry watched the three goblins confer in Gobbledygook, getting more nervous as time went on. 

“Excuse me….” he began.

“Yes, Mr. Potter?” Griphook turned to him, directing the attention of Jasper and Topaz as he did so. 

“If the accounts are frozen and audits are going on, can I still get money for living expenses and school supply shopping? When will the audits be done?”

“The audits will take at least a week. We will have to manually withdraw money from your trust fund and you have to be present when this withdrawal happens.”

“Ok. How do we proceed?”

Griphook withdrew a diamond-encrusted serrated knife from one of the drawers in the desk. He used it to carve a symbol into the ledger before him. “If you give another 3 drops of blood, you will certify that Gringotts, as a bank, is allowed to withdraw 100 _G_ from your bank account while your account and affairs are being adjusted.”

Harry grimaced as the cut on his hand was unsealed again by Goblin magic. He gave his blood and the symbol (Ϣ) glowed brightly for a moment before turning puce. Griphook again sealed the cut. “Come with us, Mr. Potter.”

The rest of the trip was as Harry remembered from his previous visit. The high-speed cart got to his trust vault and he stood at the side as the three goblins gathered the money into a Gringotts branded money pouch, the size of Harry’s fist, and handed it to him. The four of them, then went to the lobby, while the goblins discussed something among themselves.

“Mr. Potter, how long will you be in Diagon Alley?” Griphook asked.

“I think until school starts. Why?”

“Per bank policy, we can only answer inquiries about accounts that are being audited in person. The bank will not be sending owls or other means of communications. If you are nearby, then it will make it easier for you to stay updated.”

“Ok. Would it be alright if I came to check how things are going later this week?”

“That will be more than ok. It is your right as a client, and it was a failure of the bank to not protect your assets. The three of us have decided, since you don’t know much about the wizarding world and are currently alone with minimal funds, that we will give you a temporary gwarsank, a ceremonial necklance, that contains magic from our three clans. If you encounter any trouble, feel free to squeeze any one of the symbols and our clans will come to your protection.”

“Thank you. I am honored… I don’t mean to offend, but could you explain why not the Aurors?”

The three of them looked at each other. “We do not know who is involved in this theft and do not want to tip off the Aurors. Also we will let you know when the centaur healer is here, so we can do a full health check, something that all house heirs are supposed to get once they reach the age of 9.”

Harry wondered if it was normal for goblin clans to protect wizards, considering how he had heard his friends and schoolmates grumble about how shrewd, calculating, and money-hungry goblins were. He shook his head, _this is the same prejudice that wizards have against muggles. I will investigate this in Historic Alley._

He donned the proffered thin black cord. It had four phoenix feathers alternating between three cubes carved with various symbols and tucked it beneath his robes. “Thank you again Griphook, Jasper, and Topaz. Could you point me a safe direction to Historic Alley, without going through Knockturn Alley?”

“You will need to either go through the bank or go around the bank to get through Historic Alley from here.” Griphook pointed to the door opposite the entrance from Diagon Alley. “That is Historic Alley… Good day, Mr. Potter.” 

“Good day, Griphook, Jasper, and Topaz.”

Harry glanced at his wristwatch. The entire trip had only taken three hours, considering how much needed to be done. It was now 11:15 am. The sun will be setting at 6 pm, giving Harry ample time to look around before heading back. 

The Historic Alley side of the bank looked exactly like its Diagon Alley side. The street itself, however, was completely different. While Diagon and Knockturn both had multiple street vendors narrowing and twisting the bustling streets at places, Historic Alley was orderly. The street had the exact same structure, with stores lining both sides for multiple blocks. There were no street vendors, and the crowds were much fewer in between. Historic Alley had a calm glowing warmth to it, like a sunset on a long summer day, or like a hearth during long winter nights. 

Harry pulled his map from his pocket. There were so many places he wanted to explore, including as the Magical Cultures shop, Muggles and Magic shop, Magizoology shop, Wiccan Antique shop, and Wiccan Temple. He took a deep breath and headed towards the large, grey Victorian store on the right of the street, about 50 meters from Gringotts’ steps. The wooden street sign had a golden book swinging from a metal pole, bearing the name of the store: Genealogy Through the Ages, Est. 100 B.C. 

The double doors opened to reveal a relatively large lobby, covered in luscious thick carpets of red and silver. Harry’s feet sank delightfully into the rugs as he made his way to the tall counter, manned by an ancient stern-looking witch, her silver hair pulled back into a bun, glasses gracing her hooked, wrinkled nose. While sitting in her chair at the elevated counter, her shoulders were at Harry’s eye level.

“How may I help you, dear?”

“I wanted to learn more about my family and about the Wizarding World. Which section of the store should I go to?”

“You are in the right place to learn about family history. This store does not have much in the way of other history…” She adjusted her glasses, looking down at him. “What are your opinions of Muggles and Muggle-born?” 

_Is this some type of test?_ “Muggles are human beings as we are human beings. They share this planet and we must learn to live with them. One of my best friends is muggle-born, and I don’t see how her birth status is significant.”

She smiled. “Then you want the full, unbiased history. Without all of the crap the Ministry and the Pureblooded bigots have pushed onto us in the last few centuries… Do you have a map?”

Harry handed her his map. She circled stores on the map before turning it to face him. “For the best history texts, visit History Unraveled. They have a very good collection that should help with your search for history, cultures, and customs. Avoid the Wizarding History shop, it is full of drivel.” She moved her hands to other shops: “Once you have a good base to your understanding, I would recommend visiting the Crystals and Herbs shop, as well as the others on your list.”

“Do you have a genealogy text that I can buy here?”

“Yes. You can get your entire genealogy here, stretching back to your earliest ancestors. The goblins can also tell you about your family tree, but not in depth because they don’t care for wizard accomplishments. For financial dynamics, branch families, and other legality specifics, you will have to ask the goblins for more details.”

“How much?” 

“That will be determined by the text. Place your hand on this block of wood and push your magic through it.” She placed a wooden brick on the counter. 

“How?”

“Merlin, what are they teaching the kids these days?! When you use your wand, do you feel an energy?”

Harry thought for a second and nodded. “Now channel that energy into this brick instead of your wand.”

Upon doing so, the brick showed “Potter” printed in rainbow colors. She then removed the brick, “We got that from the goblins during one of the Goblin Wars.”

The lady went behind the counter to one of the massive bookshelves and brought a large text with a black cover. She placed the book in a two boxed contraption and waved her wand. A copy of the book appeared next to it, which she bright back to Harry. Seeing his quizzical look, she answered his unsaid question, “No, that was not the common copying spell. The machine and the spell were designed for this shop and are a family secret.” She placed the book on a scale. “The book will be 3000 _G_ to purchase.”

“Are there any other options?”

“You can borrow the book to read in the shop for 25 _G_ per week.”

“Can I bring other books to read as well?”

“Yes.”

“Then I would like to borrow the book for this week.” Harry pulled out the cash. “Can I come back later with more purchases?”

“Yes. For 5 _G_ you can borrow one of our reading rooms on the second floor for the week as well. It will be sealed with your magical signature and you can deposit your items safely in the room until you need to leave.” 

“I will take one then,” Harry said, placing 5 Galleons on the counter. He received a key with a room number. “Thank you. I will be back soon.”

Harry then went to History Unraveled. It was like Flourish & Blotts from Diagon Alley, with rows and rows of shelves stacked to the ceiling. Harry spent another 20 _G_ on the recommended _A True History of Wizarding Britain until 1900, Wizarding Upheaval of the 20th Century, Goblins and Gringotts, Centaurs and Rituals, Wizarding Cultures of the World, Wiccan Religion through the Millennia,_ and _Hogwarts a History, Uncut Edition._

Returning with his purchases to Genealogy through the Ages, he went to the second-floor room reserved for him. He couldn’t wait to get started!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will continue to expand on this world, now that Harry has his books. Needless to say, his 3rd year will be vastly different from canon.
> 
> Comments and feedback are welcome. Thanks for reading!


End file.
